Global communication networks such as the Internet provide businesses with a new infrastructure for reaching millions of potential customers. So-called “web pages” have become a major vehicle in providing Internet-based content (e.g., advertising) to users, and a convenient method for distributing information the users from remote locations on the network.
The emergence of e-commerce over the Internet, and the resulting scramble to capture the attention of users, if for only a brief moment, now demands more effective ways for vendors to direct their advertising to potential customers. One approach has been to develop new network-based technologies which involve optical scanning. However, while many types of optical readers are known, their cost and complexity have heretofore limited their use primarily to industrial and commercial settings. A need therefor exists, for optical readers which can be used for network applications in a variety of settings.